Trousers-stretcher



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

s; H. TOLMANQ TROUSERS STRETGHER. No. 596,764. Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

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(No Model 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. H. TOLMAN. TROUSERS STRBTGHER. No. 596,764. Pa tented'Jan. 4, 1898.

\x/rTrJEs'aEsi IIJJEIJTDFQ Jaw/W (SJ MW UNITED STATES PATENT OEETcE.

SCOTT H. TOLHAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROUSERS-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,764, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed February 12, 1897. Serial No. 628,143. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Soo'rr ll. TOLMAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trousers-Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to trousershangers, and has for its object to provide a device of the character specified which may be formed of wire and which may be inserted into the legs of the trousers so as to have a straight portion extend into the longitudinal creases thereof, so as to stretch the legs of the trousers laterally and remove any wrinkles or looseness in the same.

To these ends the invention consists of the devices which are illustrated upon the drawings and which I shall now proceed to describe in detail and then point out in the claims hereto appended.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters and figures designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view illustrating one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same, the suspending-hook being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of another form of my invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 8, a (1 indicate two legs or members,which are each bent to have two straight portions 2 2, connected together at their lower ends by the bends a, which form springs to maintain the said straight portions 2 2 in the creases in the legs of the trousers.

b b are toggle-levers, formed at their inner ends into coils b and bent, as at 17 Z1 to form springs, and finally bent into stops and clamps at their outer ends, as shown at b --that is to say, at its outer end each wire is bent laterally at right angles, as at 3, then downward, as at 4, at an angle a little greater than a right angle, then laterally, as at 5, in the opposite direction, then upwardly, as at 6, then laterally again, as at 7, and finally coiled about itself, as at 8.

The free ends of the legs a a are coiled, as

at (F, about the lateral portions 3 and 7 of the wires b. o is a suspending-hook formed of a wire doubled and bent into book form at its upper end and twisted to strengthen it, and finally formed with laterally and oppositely projecting ends 6', extending into the coils b of the wires 1). Thus it will be seen that when the hook c is thrust downward the toggle-levers b I) draw the straight portions 2 2 of the wires or toward each other, and when the hook is drawn upward in the act of suspending the trousers the said straight portions 2 2 are forced away from each other to stretch the trousers laterally. The bent portions 6 of the wires perform two functionsnamely, that of limiting the upward movement of the toggle-levers to lock them and clamping the ends of the trousers against the legs a a.

When the device is to be used, the trousers are placed in position with the ends of the legs toward the operator, and by compressing the springs a a one of the legs or members is inserted in each leg of the trousers and forced in until the extreme ends of the trousers are in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Then the suspending-hook c is turned outward to force the toggle-levers into locking position, and by throwing it to one side or the other the clamps b are slightly loosened to allow the trousers to be properly adjusted beneath them, after which, by straightening the hook in the position shown in Fig. 2, the clamps b engage the trousers and hold them against the straight portions a of the legs or members. The springs a in the legs or members force the straight portions .2 .2 thereof out into engagement with the trousers and so that they fit in the creases of the same and remove all wrinkles or looseness therein.

By forming the toggle levers with the springs 12 and the loops with the springs a the hanger is adapted for all sizes and styles of trousers, as it will readily adapt itself to any particular requirement.

In order to remove the hanger from the trousers, it is necessary to force the suspending-hook c inward, which releases the clamps b and forces the free end of the-legs or memhers inward, after which the latter may be withdrawn with great case.

I do not limit myself to forming each leg or member of a single wire doubled to form a spring, as at a, as I may employ two or more sets of toggle-levers, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring to the last-mentioned figure, each leg or member is formed of wires (1 d, which are connected at their lower ends by togglelevers d d, each formed with a spring-bend 01 Links e e connect the toggle-levers d d with the suspending-hook 0, so that both sets are operated simultaneously. I have also employed intermediate spring toggle-levers ff, having their outer ends coiled about inwardly-projecting eyelets d in the wires cl and their inner ends connected to the links 6 6. Thus it will be seen that the said legs or stretching members are strengthened and braced at points intermediate of their ends by spring toggle-levers which operate simultaneously with the toggle-levers at the ends. The stops b on the toggle-levers at the upper end of the hanger operate to lock the sidebars of the legs or stretching members in their outward position. The manner of using this last described form of my invention is similar to that as above set forth.

In both forms of the invention the upper ends of the legs or stretching members are forced outward by toggle-levers, while the lower ends of the legs or stretching members are connected by springs, so that the hangers will adapt themselves to any sizes of trousers.

While I prefer the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 because of its simplicity and comparative cheapness of construction, at the same time the hanger illustrated in Fig. 4 is well adapted for various purposes which cannot be accomplished by the first-mentioned hanger.

I claim- 1. A trousers-hanger formed of Wire andcomprising two legs or members each having straight portions to fit in the longitudinal creases in the trouserslegs, a pair of togglelevers connecting the upper ends of said legs or members and provided with stops, and a suspending device connected to the inner ends of said toggle-levers whereby said levers are locked when the trousers are suspended by said device.

2. A trousers-hanger comprising a leg or member having straight portions to fit in the creases of the trousers-legs, and a spring connecting the lower ends of said straight portions, toggle-levers connecting the upper ends of said leg or member and having stops to engage said leg or member and hold them in their locking positions, and a suspending device connected to the inner ends of said toggle-levers, and arranged to lock the togglelevers when the trousers are suspended.

3. A trousers-hanger comprising a leg or member having straight portions to fit in the creases of the trousers-legs, toggle-levers connecting the upper ends ofsaid leg or member, and formed with spring portions, stops to limit the movement of said toggle-levers, and a suspending device connected to the togglelevers for locking them when the trousers are suspended.

4. A trousers hanger and stretcher, comprising a leg or member having straight por tions to fit in the creases of the trousers-legs, toggle-levers for forcing the upper ends of the said leg or member outward, and catches to clamp the ends of the trousers against the said leg or member, said catches operating as stops to limit the movement of the togglelevers.

5. A trousers-hanger comprising a leg or member having straight portions to fit in the creases of the trouserslegs, toggle-levers connecting the upper ends of said leg or member, toggle-levers for forcing the lower ends of the legs or members outward, catches to clamp the ends of the trousers-legs, and a suspending device connected to said toggle-levers to operate them. 7

6. A trousers-hanger formed of wire, and comprising two legs or members each having straight portions to fit in the longitudinal creases of the trousers, toggle-levers connecting said straight portions at their upper ends and having stops to engage said legs or members, means for operating said togglelevers, and springs connecting said straight portions intermediate of their ends.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 29th day of January, A. D. 1897.

SCOTT H. TOLMAN.

Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, M. 13. MAY. 

